Published 29th Apr 2023, 06:00 BST

Miles Middleton says trying to define the idea of Net Zero – a balance between emission production and reduction – is two-dimensional as there are so many factors and contradictions.

He spoke at the Whitby Dairy Discussion Group meeting and shared his findings from a research project undertaken as part of his 2022 Scholarship with the charity, Nuffield Farming.

The piece of work was called “Working towards Net Zero in the Dairy sector...trade offs, opportunity costs and alternative allocations for scarce resources” and saw him visit dairy farms in Pennsylvania, The Netherlands and Ireland to compare the different methods used in dairy farming.

A Yorkshire vet with a dairy farming background has been researching the possibility of Net Zero within the sector - and his report makes for interesting reading.

A vet by trade, Mr Middleton grew up on a dairy farm in Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales and still helps out at the 72 cow farm which is now mainly run by his brother.

He said: “Through it I have realised there is a lot more to it. Carbon neutral is very two dimensional. When people try to connect it to sustainability that is a ridiculously over-simplistic way to think.

“Net Zero is much more abstract than people think and far less straight forward than many people realise. There is quite an academic element to what underpins it.”

He found that in Pennsylvania, the second largest state in the US for dairy farming, there is a higher quantity of small farms, say 120 cows, unlike the UK and massive yields of maize for feed and more infrastructure such as barns, parlours and ventilated sheds which operate 22 hours a day.

Miles Middleton, a vet and Nuffield Scholar looking at Net Zero on dairy farms around the world.

However, farms in Pennsylvania are unable to grow grass due to the lack of rainfall so to access water it is normal practice to drill boreholes into the ground and draw it up. There is a plentiful supply for 25 years and the method of growing maize looks effective, but what happens when the water runs dry?

He said: “It is efficient at making efficiencies. That is not to say using less product is a good thing, it is, but the single method of sustainability - that is completely short-sighted.

“Yes they are making efficiencies and the maize is as good as anywhere but they have 365 days a year of sun, are sinking a bore-hole and have 25 years of water. That dries up, they pack up and move on and drill another one.

“Net Zero being the only metric that matters - it isn’t”.

Mr Middleton’s trip to The Netherlands found some of the most productive farmland in the world. The country is the largest exporter of animal products in Europe and the largest drinkers of liquid milk.

He said: “The soil quality and farmland is the best in Europe. It is a small country but the intensity of farming is incredible. Once you have seen one Dutch farm, you have seen them all.”

However, the intensity of dairy farming means the Netherlands has an issue with nitrogen emissions from cattle and water pollution.

He explained: “Because they have farms upon farms and below sea-level, it ends up in water courses. They are the biggest exporter of organic vegetables in Europe. Conservation areas are getting dosed with nitrogen and they are pumping it out.”

He also saw political protests from Dutch farmers against the government’s plans to cut nitrogen emissions.

The trip to Irish dairy farms found 40 per cent of the carbon footprint on farms is methane from cattle.

He was asked by the Whitby farmers if he thought that Net Zero was achievable but concluded it was difficult to measure due to varying standards and frameworks for different sectors as well as sectors which cross-over, such as beef and dairy.

He added: “What does Net Zero mean and using what method? There is no single method.”

A Yorkshire vet and dairy expert questions whether Net Zero is achievable or sustainable after overseas trips